Chapter 55: Fox City 05

Chapter 55: Fox City 05

Lu Zai Chun queried, "How do you know that?"

"I've always enjoyed reading such obscure books. In college, I even had a nickname – 'The Shaman.'"

Lu Zai Chun laughed softly, "But what does this imply?"

Pei Yi crossed his arms, "Considering the rules we've seen, the belief in gods and spirits, uniform attire, various taboos... all these are necessary for ancient sacrificial rituals. The specific purpose could be resurrection or perhaps better reincarnation? I'm not sure. And then there's Black Mama; her life story just seems fabricated to me."

"Why do you think it's fabricated?"

"How did someone previously considered a fool suddenly become so smart? What happened in between? Who exactly was that Taoist priest, and what did he do to Black Mama? These are all points worth digging into. The most abnormal thing is the woman in the attic – why is she confined there?"

As Pei Yi spoke, he noticed Lu Zai Chun zoning out and tapped the windowsill, "Are you listening? I thought you were good at this?"

Lu Zai Chun sighed, "I didn't expect you to uncover so many doubts."

"The biggest doubt is Fox City itself, but given the system's tasks, we have no choice but to take it one step at a time."

Pei Yi glanced at his wristband, "Let's sleep. You should rest early too. Don't we have a water burial ceremony tomorrow? A water burial is yet another ancient ritual, things are getting more interesting." The guide had already briefed them on the next day's task.

Tomorrow's agenda was to witness a water burial.

Returning to his room, both roommates were asleep. Leaning on the bed, Pei Yi opened his notebook and wrote "Lu Zai Chun smoking" as a key point. Closing the notebook, he went to sleep.

In the middle of the night, Pei Yi smelled that faint fragrance again. It was pleasant, but strangely out of place. He struggled to wake up and investigate, but his consciousness seemed glued down, unable to fully awaken.

The feeling was extremely uncomfortable, like being trapped in a deep nightmare, overwhelmed by a sense of powerlessness, as if experiencing sleep paralysis.

The next morning, Pei Yi finally awoke, feeling terrible and headache-ridden. Zhou You seemed alright, but Chen Mo also appeared to have slept poorly.

Downstairs, the guide A Li was already there, chatting animatedly with Lu Zai Chun. The guide's chin, visible under his mask, seemed sharper, and his tongue looked even larger when he spoke. He was increasingly resembling a fox.

"Today, I'll take you to see a water burial. It's quite interesting."

"What is a water burial?" Red Jiu inquired.

A Li turned to Red Jiu, "Oh, Miss Red Jiu, you've become even more beautiful. Truly stunning!"

Red Jiu responded with a smile, "Really? I feel the same."

"You talk about living life, but look at me, just a plain tour guide, nothing more. I'm just hoping one day I'll have a water burial, to quickly separate my soul and flesh and enter the cycle of reincarnation."

"Soul and flesh separation?" Zhou You asked, "What's that?"

"You don't know? Soul and flesh, that's the spirit and □□. When a person dies, doesn't the □□ rot? Then the soul must leave. It's better for the cycle of reincarnation. All this talk, it's better to show you."

Pei Yi asked, "Doesn't everyone in your city choose to jump off the cliff before they die?"

A Li replied, "Yes, but some choose water burial."

Saying this, they led the group forward.

They reached the riverside next to the restaurant they had visited before, where a group was chanting prayers, uttering words completely unintelligible to them.

They were ordinary citizens of Fox City, dressed in colorful long robes, each wearing a sharp-pointed, high-standing blue hat.

Some held a reincarnation drum, swinging it rhythmically; others shook copper bells, chanting under their breath.

They managed to understand a few phrases: prayers to the Great Fox Spirit for blessings, wishing for the deceased's quick separation of soul and flesh, and a swift ascent to paradise.

After the chant, several people came carrying a corpse.

It was a male body, still wearing a mask. They positioned the body in a sitting posture and placed it in a black wooden coffin, which A Li explained was a niche coffin, with very thin walls.

Then, they carried the niche coffin to the center of the river, broke it open, tied heavy stones to the body, surrounded it with thorns to prevent aquatic creatures from gnawing at it, and finally sank it into the water.

"That man looks so young, he died so early?" Pei Yi inquired.

A Li commented, "Yes, he was a traveler. As long as one believes in the Great Fox Spirit, they can achieve separation of soul and flesh after death and quickly enter the cycle of reincarnation!"

At that moment, Xingguang and Xingyao approached, sipping fox juice, and said in unison, "Could this be a deception?"

No sooner had they spoken than the sound of the reincarnation drum ceased. Someone pointed at Xingguang and Xingyao, accusing, "They dare to disrespect the Great Fox Spirit!"

The twins remained defiant, "What's the problem? Can't we even make a comment?"

The city residents gathered around, protesting, "Of course, it's a problem! You're here in our land, wearing the clothes and drinking the beverages bestowed by our Fox Deity. How dare you disrespect him?"

"Exactly! It's intolerable! They must be punished!"

Xing Guang and Xing Yao snorted, "All this mystical mumbo-jumbo, it's just a scam. If it's really that miraculous, show us this separation of soul and flesh then."

Pei Yi sensed something off about Xing Guang and Xing Yao. What's going on with them? They're experienced players with over a thousand points, speaking such nonsense.

"They dare to blaspheme the Fox God! Kill them!"

"Kill them!"

In an instant, the eyes of the townspeople turned red, the parts visible outside their masks long and thin, bloodshot, their ears reddening too. Almost every one of them exhibited this change.

"Kill them!"

"Yes! Death! They deserve to die!"

Immediately, someone charged forward.

The confrontation happened so fast that Ying Junshu, Pei Yi, and others tried to intervene, but Lu Zai Chuan held them back with his arm, pulling them away. Thanks to this, they avoided the frenzy as the townspeople swarmed Xing Guang and Xing Yao.

Screams and the chaos of the beating echoed through the quiet town.

The twins were beaten to a pulp, barely recognizable as human, clinging to their last breath. Yet, the townspeople showed no mercy. The ringleader shouted about taking them to the Fox Shrine for the shrine's head to administer justice.

Pei Yi and the other eight followed.

The Fox Shrine wasn't far, just a few minutes' walk away. Several people blocked the entrance, intercepting anyone trying to enter. They could only stand outside, looking on.

Xing Guang and Xing Yao were subdued, forced to kneel before the shrine and pay homage to the Fox God.

They learned from A Li that the head of the shrine was none other than Hei Mama (Black Mother).

"Isn't Black Mother already dead?" Chen Mo asked. Her biography states that Liang Huiyun was born in 1932 and died in 1972 at the age of forty.

A Li spat, "What do you mean 'already dead'? Black Mother is eternal. The current one is not the real Black Mother; she's a descendant, but we still call her Black Mother."

After a while, a man and a woman, both clad in black long coats, emerged.

They appeared to be in their late thirties, well-preserved for their age. The woman had a pretty face and fair skin, while the man was handsome and tall, an impressive couple accompanied by many followers.

Pei Yi observed everything, surprised at how a mere comment escalated to this. This place was becoming increasingly bizarre.

After hearing the townspeople's report, Black Mother approached the twins, "You insulted the Fox Deity. We must follow the rules of Fox City, I'm sorry." She raised her head, scanning the crowd with a shrill voice, "Are there any friends of these two here?"

The twins greatly admired Lu Zai Chuan, who felt obliged to step forward, "I am."

"Noble sir, you must have read the rules of Fox City upon entering. Someone must have informed you."

Of course, they were told, twice even. But no one mentioned that disrespecting the Fox Deity would lead to death.

"Yes, we saw them."

"This town is under the protection of the Fox Deity. We absolutely do not tolerate any disrespect or blasphemy towards the Fox Deity. Since you were aware and still erred, you must accept punishment. We must carry out the sentence."

"What punishment?"

Black Mother bowed to them and whispered something to her husband.

After speaking, the man gestured, and several men wearing red masks rushed forward, pinning Xing Guang and Xing Yao down. They took out a red bottle, chanting, "The Fox Deity is merciful, allowing you to depart with your bodies intact. Please, depart now!"

Xing Guang and Xing Yao were terrified and tried to resist, but they were too weak from the beating to put up any fight.

Pei Yi watched with a heavy heart, realizing there was no way to help. After all, they had made the first mistake. The town's worship of the Fox Deity had reached a terrifying extent.

Looking at Lu Zai Chuan, his profile was stern, his eyes pitch-black and silent, showing no intention of intervening.

The onlookers waved banners and chanted eulogies, uttering phrases like "May the Fox Deity bless us all."

In such a bloody scene, a hint of devotion was forcibly extracted.

The brothers, crying, were forcibly fed pills and struggled fiercely before their deaths, but they were no match for the pressing force of several townspeople. That sense of helplessness and suffocation made Pei Yi and the others break out in cold sweat. Even if they wanted to save them, they were powerless against the hundred or so people present.

After ingesting the pills, the brothers peacefully closed their eyes and lay straight, covered by a white cloth, now merely two corpses.

Nobody expected that after witnessing the water burial ceremony, they would now have to watch their own companions undergo the same ritual.